Days and Days
by AkatsukiStalkers-RebelQueens
Summary: So many days in one's life. Some might wonder just how to spend all these days. We have days of joy, the best days of our lives. We have days that leave us wanting to cry, the worst days of our lives. We have days that change everything and will alter every day of the rest of our life. This is the story of the days she and they had had together, every best day, every worst day.
1. Prologue: Day of the Beginning

**Days and Days**

**Prologue: Day of The Beginning**

…

**All this bad blood here, **

**won't you let it dry?**

**It's been cold for years, **

**won't you let it lie?**

…

The Day the way of the world team seven would known fell was the day of a new beginning. No one had expected the outcome of the Masked Man 'Madara Uchiha' to suddenly die of a heart attack during the three years Naruto would leave to train with Jiraiya.

The Day the way of the world Akatsuki would know was ultimately altered the day the once-unknown leader died under the persona of Tobi, and the leader they thought had been in charge ultimately became just so: the only leader of Akatsuki.

The Day this leader, 1 year and 3 months into his leadership, decided they would need a medic, and began looking for the most competent Medic with the ability to fight he could locate in the shinobi world.

The Day about 2 years into his leadership when, without the influence of Madara to focus on capturing the Jinchuiriki for the Moon's Eye Genjutsu, and insistence from Itachi, the look into a different answered for 'world peace' found itself amidst the ginger leader. It came about the ways he had tried long before the Akatsuki had turned into what it was not, the ideals once shared with Konan and Yahiko.

The Day 2 years and 4 months into leadership when at last Akatsuki settled into a range of peace with an established treaty to first the lesser villages such as Yuki or Hoshi or such, and then finally onto the larger nations with much, much effort: Konaha.

The Day precisely 2 years and exactly 4 months on the 9th day, in which the terms of the new alliance between Pein of Akatsuki and The Godaime Hokage Tsunade were set in stone. In a show of trust for one another, Konaha would hire Akatsuki mercenaries for assorted missions- which was a show of acceptance from the Akatsuki to help Konaha with such thing for a hidden village whom relied on mission payments for its economy- and in return, Konaha, as the leading of all villages in medicinal shinobi training, would assign their best medic ninja to fill the lacking position of such.

The Day the shinobi arrived in Amegakure, escorted by a convoy of Lead ANBU, dressed up in fancy black and red, cloud patterned kimono like the gift of peace she was to be placed under the Christmas tree, Exactly 2 years, 4 months, 13 days after the sudden death of Madara Uchiha, on a Friday, 852 days since, was the exact point the Future all Shinobi would know was ultimately altered.

The Day the pink haired package was delivered by the ANBU team to the Akatsuki Tower, Hidden Rain Village's heart, in the elegant kimono and white cat mask marked with black, red, and blue-green paints was also the day that Pein and Konan, whom waited at the doors for her arrival, were given a short note from the head ANBU team, sealed with the chakra of the Hokage herself, in which Pein unsealed and read a simple message.

The Day in which Pein learned a key fact about the new medic via this one letter: "_Dear Head of Amegakure, Pein, This is my personal student Sakura Haruno, future Sanin. For the sake of you and the dignitary Miss Konan whom I find quite likable, I'll tell you this: she is the best Medic of the Shinobi Nation Konohagakure, but she has the greatest temper in all the shinobi world. I wonder where she got it from?_"

"**Bad Blood" © Bastille **

**Comment a song and we'll pull some lyrics for ideas!**


	2. Day of Friendly Conversations

**Days and Days**

**Page 1: Day of Friendly Conversation**

…

**She says she's no good with words **

**But I'm worse**

**Barely stuttered out "A joke of a romantic" **

**It's all just stuck to my tongue**

…

The day found Sakura relaxing on her own in the living room, watching cartoons and eating cereal one morning.

It was when the blue man, resident weirdo, stumbled into vicinity with a tired yawn, gapping jaws and fine pointed teeth displayed for the brief span, which promptly drew the pinkette's attention.

It was 3 days after her arrival, and she had yet to meet this person. She found him incredibly interesting on account of her medical side suddenly asking thousands of questions.

_Are you actually half shark? Do you have scales? Do those gills on your face work? Can you see underwater? Can you breathe underwater? Can you grow hair or are you super smooth? What color do you turn if your chocking? Can your cheeks become red, or do they turn purple, or maybe a darker blue? Do you have the life span of a shark or a human? Is you anatomy strictly human? _

Like Sakura always seemed to do, she spoke before her mind could process what to even say. So of course, the first thing she thought was what penetrated the air as her first words to him: "Are you actually half shark?"

The strange looking man turned his head to her, completely still. Sakura blinked, realizing that she had spoken as her emerald orbs locked with pure black, lightly yellow ringed. She turned a light shade of red. Silently she noted from now on that the first question she should think is 'what's your name?', and maybe things might go smoother.

"So, um, yeah, hi, I'm Sakura, what's your name?" she tried again, smiling awkwardly.

He said nothing, continued to stare at her unblinkingly.

"Well, um, I'm your new medic from Konaha." She waved a bit.

"…good to meet you." He responded, turning instead to head into the kitchen.

Pouting briefly, she moved her cereal to the coffee table and bonded over the couch, leaning into the doorway and spotting the shark-man shifting through cabinets.

"Well hey, I may be bad with words, but come on be friendly! At least give me a name!" she whined.

He looked up, and after a few silent seconds, his head turned back toward her. He was quiet even longer, and then at last, "Kisame."

Sakura's eyes clicked with recognition. "Hoshigaki. Right?"

His eyes narrowed a bit. "…yes."

"Weird." Sakura chuckled. "Konan said you were funny and good for conversation."

"Yeah… well, I'm not a morning person." He chuckles awkwardly to himself.

Sakura smirks, giggling a bit. "Then I'll catch you some other time, Kisame!" she said quite brightly, then disappeared into the living room to finish her cereal and cartoons.

Kisame stared at the doorway. He felt a flicker of heat to his face, then turned back into the covered with a mental scoff. "Humph. _Girls_."

"**Dance, Dance" © Panic! At The Disco**

**Comment a song and we'll pull some lyrics for ideas!**


	3. Day of Artistic Aspiration

**Days and Days**

**Page 2: Day of Artistic Aspiration**

…

**Say what you mean, tell me I'm right**

**And let the sun rain down on me**

**Give me a sign, I want to believe**

**Whoa, Mona Lisa**

**You're guaranteed to run this town**

…

The day Sakura walked into a room full of a lot of the Akatsuki, watching TV, one late afternoon was the day she became acquainted with the artistic duo of Akatsuki.

After all, it's hard not to notice the pair who were the only ones not watching the TV and instead arguing at impossible volumes over said TV about conflicting philosophies on art.

Sakura crossed her arms, nodding to herself in agreement with herself about how she liked big words like 'Philosophies'.

The pinkette then leaned onto the back of the couch, ignoring Hidan, whom she had already met earlier that day, when he cursed for her to stop blocking his reading light and moved to a bit to the left when she didn't move, cursing again. He was reading the Journal of Jashin, apparently the Jashinists bible. Weird, Hidan reading.

Her bright jade orbs turned to the blonde and red head, whom were being ignored by the rest of the group, and decided to listen in.

"-and that is why art could _never_ last forever, Danna, yeah! You'd have to be a complete idiot to think art should or even _could_ last so long, when art is about the transcendence, the imperfection, the brief moment where it takes place, and how it could never be repeated again, the _explosion!_"

"Stupid brat, that is not art, that is terrorism. Art is beauty that will forever live on, something so marvelous and so perfect that it in and of itself is impossible to not call art. Forever the same and lasting just as long as infinity. Eternal, perfect creations that one must strive to achieve."

Deidara opened his mouth, but noticed out of the corner of his eye when Sakura shot her hand into the air, waving it around at him. He looked over, raising a brow. Sasori and a few of the Akatsuki looked over, too, at her quick moving gesture. "What, un?"

"Can I get in on this argument?" she asked.

Groans went up around the room, and those other than the bickering pair went back to the TV.

Sasori blinked slowly. "You can if you believe that art is eternal and will last forever."

Deidara scoffed. "You can give your thoughts if you think art is a _bang_, and that is imperfect and lasts only a single instant, never to be seen again."

Sakura laced her fingers, resting her chin on her hands, and began to speak before either of them could get back into the argument. "I would say you are both right and both wrong."

They gave her incredulous, scandalized looks. "Oh, really?" Sasori rolled his eyes. "Elaborate, Kunoichi."

Sakura moved one hand to Deidara, resting her chin still on the other. "In a sense, blondy is correct. As the world has never beheld something truly _perfect_, my thoughts would be that Art's beauty comes from its imperfections, as it is the imperfections of something that makes it beautiful. To see the same, _perfect_ thing each day would wear out the beauty, and it would be considered art. And since art is made of the imperfect creation, you could never create the same work a second time, and to be able to experience an art is a once-in-a-life chance, because that art will never be the same again, and it will never be perfectly recreated because it itself was already imperfect."

Sakura's hand moved in a wisp to Sasori in a thoughtful, breezy manner. "But Sasori is also right. Because to witness that one art that will never be there again is such an amazing thing, that it is engraved into your mind. You can never truly forget a work of pure art, and it is forever going to be within your mind. He's also right that an artist lives and works for his or her art. They must poor blood, sweat, and tears to create the best of the arts and in a sense as they create the imperfect work to be considered art, all beautiful things could be called perfect, and so that art one creates is perfect in their own eyes or to those who view it, and will then last forever in the hearts, minds, and eyes of those who have seen it."

She pointed to herself then. "Despite you too, my own view of art is also different. It may be correct or not, I don't know, but I'll stand by it. In which art is a beauty to any sense. The 'Art' of cooking that makes the sense of taste completely and utterly relax and makes one crave for a second bite. The 'Art' of music the can control the listeners emotions and trigger memories. The 'Art' of explosions or the 'Art' of puppetry each do things for the two of you that create this feeling within you, that stimulated beauty and, to you, a sense of perfection that can give you a high of pure excitement or satisfaction you can't quite get anywhere else."

She shrugged. "But again, that could be wrong or right, it's only an opinion, like all art." The pinkette yawned and she turned her head to Pein, who was sitting in his own armchair with the remote. "Pein-sama, I don't suppose you know where the spare blankets are, ne?"

"Hall way closet, 3rd door, left." He responded somewhat robotically. He was absorbed into whatever was on TV.

The pair of artists watched her go, up the stairs and off to get those blankets so she could get some sleep. "She's totally right." Sasori muttered, scratching his head in confusion.

Deidara leaned a bit over. "But she totally said mine was more correct then yours, Danna, yeah."

Sasori scoffed, "You idiot, all my _key_ ideals were correct, she said. That is much better than you."

There was a shout from the back of the house "NOW THAT I'M A SAFE DISTANCE AWAY AND SASORI COULDN'T KILL ME, DEIDARA YOUR ART IS _WAY_ COOLER!"

"OOOHHHHHHHH SUCK ON THAT DANNA!" and Deidara promptly poofed out of the room before Sasori could strangle him.

"**The Ballad of Mona Lisa" © Panic! At The Disco**

**Comment a song and we'll pull some lyrics for ideas!**


	4. Day of Secrets

**Days and Days**

**Day of Secrets**

…

**Got a secret**

**Can you keep it?**

**Swear this one you'll save**

**Better lock it in your pocket**

**Taking this one to the grave**

…

The day was definitely a strange one.

Sakura found herself kidnapped by large band of unknown people when she woke one early morning.

Still dressed in a tank top and boy shorts, she found the cold wet grass she was sitting on, tied to a tree, was not a happy place to be.

A short distance away, she was able to hear a brief discussion.

"-Kunoichi and the Akatsuki are worth quite a bit, but _where_ do we sell them to?"

"We could sell them off to almost any territory. But we should get out of Ame quickly, and the less time we have them, the better; there's a reason they are such high-rank, too long and they might escape before we get our moneys worth. If we keep heading south and out of here, Otogakure is the nearest village."

"Those sound shinobi will definitely pay high price for an Akatsuki Member and the most Renown Medical Kunoichi in the nations."

"For sure."

Sakura's head lolled to the side when she heard shifting, and then smirked widely. Against another tree just a little ways away, the infamous Hidan was tied down, gagged, stabbed through into the tree even further, and was _mad_.

His magenta gaze caught on hers and he glared even angrier at her grin.

Sakura laughed silently in her head.

Ignoring him, she leaned back and closed her eyes again, thinking deeply as she shut out the sounds of conversation and the surroundings.

Now she was certainly bound with chakra suppressant ropes. So breaking those wouldn't be too easy. If she could gather enough chakra in her back- furthest from the ropes without being too far for a strong build- she might be able to overload a point on the rope and break through there by suddenly channeling to a single point what she had built. Or maybe just crash through the tree? It was a thick oak, though…

She could detect multiple signatures around the forest section just ahead of them. 15… maybe 20…

So after cutting the ropes, which would take a good bit of chakra to do, they would certainly notice her escape. Especially if she blew up the tree. So there was an inevitable fight with 20 or so ninja who had managed to not only capture her, but also the immortal jashinist. Somehow right out of Ame, too.

A good plan was in order.

And just as she began to think about what to do in the situation further, she was abruptly awoken to the present world by two very firm squeezes on her chest.

Her eyes opened slowly. She was met with a rather fine looking blonde man with short curly, sandy locks and deep brown eyes, with lots of cute freckles. However, if looks could kill, that pretty face would be deteriorating and decomposing in a bloody slop of a human flesh decomposition the instant her green eyes focused on him. It took only a heartbeat to shield them away, though, with a far more 'interested' seeming one to mask it.

Almost immediately upon seeing her look just after it had switched to the newer expression, the unknown man wearing a cross-through mist headband dropped the excited grin he was sporting and stared back, mesmerized.

She leaned up and, shocking the blonde out of his mind, kissed him hard and deep.

Then, as if nothing had happened, she leaned back into her tree. "I just woke up. Give me a minute. And yeah, sure, why not?"

The blonde guy looked almost jubilant. "…ill come back in exactly 15 minutes with coffee." He almost cheered, walking off with a near skip.

Sakura decided to let her head role to the side and open her eyes again, and smirked widely at Hidan. The albino was both shocked, and confused… and then, a bit turned on.

Thoroughly disturbed by the last little section of his demeanor, she grinned at him, readying to knock that little bit from his face. No way does he get to be turned on for _that_. Hell no. "Looks like _I _get coffee, Hidan." She pointed out with a smug smirk.

Instantly, and much to her relief, he became quite angry again.

Sakura leaned back with a grin, closing her eyes, and began to round off this new plan of hers, until at last, the smell of wondrous coffee filled the air.

Her ropes dropped and she was handed a cup and a plate of- "oh sweet, sweet man, I love you! Bringing me bacon is like a diamond ring!" the pinkette let out a light groan and stuffed a strip into her mouth with a small sip of the hot beverage. "It almost makes me sad! Maybe I won't kill you, after all…"

The grinning blonds' grin faltered yet again. "Wh-"

He was silenced when the pinkette punched the leg in front of her seated form, shattering bone despite the girl not using chakra, and when he crumbled down she pressed a knock-out point. She dragged him back and wrapped him with the chakra ropes, then stopped, humming as she ate her bacon.

The pinkette then took one of the guy's Kunai, and turned to Hidan. She smirked again, at his slightly red cheeks. Damn it, why does he keep getting exited at the prospect oh her and that blonde guy? Gross. "You know, I'll cut you a deal. You keep quiet about the past 10 minutes, and I won't tell anyone back at base that you were gagged like an animal and had to be rescued by a little pink haired girl and then got hot for the thought that little bit back there. Deal?"

He glared at her hotly but she saw the agreeance in his eyes. Smiling, she cut his ropes through and he pulled out his own gag followed by the weapons piercing him to the tree, one by one. He pointed at her while doping so, cheeks still bright red as the blood drops he scattered. "You're fucking hot. Why keep that a secret?"

Sakura grinned cheerily at him, and sweetly reminded, "Two can keep a secret, but only if one of them is dead, Hidan. I'll find a way if I must. Now stand up, we have a pack of bastards to kill."

Hidan only grinned, standing and following; those bastards had his scythe after all. But then again, he'd give anything to see that toned little body fighting in those short shorts and that very thin tank top. Very exciting. "Hot little sprite." He laughed to himself.

Sakura punched his arm, just enough to keep from breaking it, and he stifled a groan of pleasure. She then rolled her eyes, and the bloody brawl proceeded as they stormed through the trees to the awaiting Nuke Nins.

The pinkette and Hidan then made their way back north to Ame and the tower base, the pinkette dropping off the blonde at a nice village hospital with a note to not touch girl's boobs when they're sleeping.

When everyone demanded where they had been upon return to the tower, both Hidan and Sakura held each other's backs, scoffing the village needed better security, and brushed them all off with a smirk to one another.

The whole day would be their little secret.

"**Secret" © The Pierces**

**Comment a song and we'll pull some lyrics for ideas!**


	5. Day of Weirdness

**Days and Days**

**Day of Weirdness**

…

**It's 8 A.M**

**This is hell I'm in**

**Seems I've crossed the line again**

**For being nothing more than who I am**

**All you'll ever be –(whoa)- Is a faded memory of a bully**

**Make another joke –(whoa)- While they hang another rope**

**So lonely **

**Push him to the dirt - 'Til the words don't hurt**

**Can you hear me?**

…

The day started far too early, 7 a.m. on a Saturday

Sakura woke to a loud alarm clock, dressed in a groggy haze in her water-proof coat over her ninja outfit, equipped herself, and headed into the dreary rain of Amegakure at 7:30.

She browsed around the early stand openers, trying to locate somewhere for herbs. This was only her second time in the market on her own, one other time with Konan whom had shown her to training grounds, the hospital, and so on.

And in all honesty, though Sakura liked rain, she was sick of the darkened morning hours being ice cold and dark grey. The people didn't know who she was yet, anyway, and the people weren't too friendly with outsiders. She had mentioned it within a brief conversation with Deidara yesterday, and he had offered to walk around with her to show that she was a part of Akatsuki sometime. However there was no way Deidara was going to wake this early, so that would be some other time.

She stumbled groggily on the smooth concrete, cursing mentally that she was tripping over nothing, but stopped herself when during that pause; she noticed the alley on her right was producing a new noise.

A sharp gagging sound, followed by a couple chuckles. "Freak!" sounded, alongside another chorus of chuckles.

Sakura peered into the shadows, a brow raised. She made out curious looking teenage girl on her hands and knees, coughing, with waist length silky white hair, spotted with black, in a dirty, ragged, pale black dress full of holes. Her stomach was very round, as if she carried a baby within. Over her stood three grinning girls. "Well, Hisoka-_chan_? Not so tough when you're fat and sleeping around, are you?" the tallest one coed, flipping brown hair over her shoulder.

Sakura watched in horror as the girl then kicked at pregnant girl's stomach, the white haired girl trying to block it with her hands.

What. The. Actual. Hell.

Hell's a good word here, actually because where else but hell do people kick pregnant girls in the stomach?!

This is just crossing a line.

"What the actual fuck are you doing?!" the pinkette hissed in outrage, stepping sharply into the space between the three and the other. "What kind of screwed up person harms another person like this in a dark alley at 8 a.m. on a fucking Saturday?!"

The three in front of her seemed stumped, shocked, and a bit nervous upon Sakura's deadly glare.

"She… she's not even human." The one on the left snapped in self defense. "Sh-she's a freak hybrid!"

"An-and she's not even Amegakure! She's from Iwagakure! She doesn't even belong here!" the last one added, crossing her arms as if that was reason enough.

Sakura leaned forward. "I have half the mind to scalp you retched brats here and now; what on earth gives you this right, eh? Id back hand you so hard it would _knock_ you to _Iwa_, were it not a useless feat considering you idiots would learn nothing from the punishment. Strange or not, that's a human being, and so help me I will slit your throats if I spot any of your faces near me again, is this understood?"

They nodded briskly, and she watched them run off in a flurry. It was here she noticed a pair of vendors at the mouth of the alley, and they quickly disappeared when they noticed her looking their way.

Sakura turned to the panting girl, tipping her head as she crouched down. "Did they hit your stomach?" she demanded softly.

The girl shook her head, choking a bit. At the same time, a new voice muttered "no, they did not."

Sakura jumped, looking up to the roof of a building and received a total shock to find one of the Akatsuki Members, Zetsu, standing there.

Sakura glanced down at the girl when she gasped. The pregnant teen's face turned upward, and Sakura observed her pure white skin, a thick black circle around her that reminded her briefly of Gaara, bright orange eyes and soft round features. When Sakura looked back to Zetsu, he was standing no longer on the roof of the building but only a foot away in the alley with her. Sakura jumped again, but he had eyes on the other girl.

"Ze-Zetsu-sama…" she dipped her head low.

"Miss Haruno is the Akatsuki Medic. **She will give you good care, Hisoka-san, please do not resist help from her.**"

The girl started, looking sharply at Sakura, spotting a red pendant on a thread hanging around Sakura's neck in the shape of a cloud, and turned red over her white skin. She dipped her head very low, "H-H-Hai!"

Zetsu smirked briefly at the girl. Then his gaze slid to Sakura. "I will thank you, Kunoichi, for standing up for the oddities." He said carefully, and then dropped a small bag beside Hisoka, her name apparently, before walking past and out of the ally.

"Are the two of you familiar with each other?" Sakura asked a bit surprised.

"Zetsu-sama… he watches over special people." She whispered back immediately, sitting up, rubbing at one of her eyes, the other hidden behind her hair. She motioned to the bag. "He… helps me out with cash… been helping since ever since…" she motioned to her belly.

Sakura smiled. "That's the first time Zetsu's ever spoken to me… but, I think I like him now."

Sakura helped Hisoka up, handing her the bag from the floor. "Let's go to the hospital and I'll give you a great check up, free. Then let's see if I can take a page from Zetsu-san and see these 'oddities' for myself. Hopefully no more stupid bullies."

…

The phenomenon of a Zetsu grinning on both sides was surely scary, Pein reflected, when after calling 'enter' at knocking sounds on his door, the bi-colored man escorted two civilians into the Ame-Kage's office. "**They are here to report someone to you, Leader-sama,**"

Pein looked from the unnerving smile, to the pair of nervous yet disgruntled pair of men. The bowed quickly and lowly upon Pein's gaze, and again after he demanded them to speak.

"W-We are here to report a foreign, outsider woman. She's been walking the streets all morning, shouting death threats."

The other pitched in, "w-w-we've certainly never seen her in the village before! And-and she is most certainly an evil, vile person!"

"Please, remove her, God-sama!" they begged in unison.

Pein looked from them back to Zetsu, who was still grinning away. He looked back at the other two. "What exactly did this woman do?"

"w-we aren't sure exactly, but she-she's and outsider, and she was very cruel to a group of girls…"

"Who is this person?"

They exchanged glances, then shook their heads quickly. "W-we do not know. She was short, and had green eyes, and pink-"

"Hair." Pein finished with a sigh.

Zetsu grinned darkly at the pair, who looked terrified at him. "**The girl is a member of Akatsuki.**" He told them with a warning tone. "**I will personally kill you if you touch her.**"

Pein, surprised at Zetsu, pointed to the door. "The two of you, leave. And next time you want to report something, have a reason other than 'she's not from Ame' or 'she was mean'. Be gone."

The ran out immediately, and Zetsu laughed.

Pein watched him go, then shook his head, wondering just what on earth that weird girl had done today to scare the civvies and somehow win Zetsu to her side.

"**Bully" © Shinedown**

**Comment a song and we'll pull some lyrics for ideas!**


	6. Day of Difficulty

**Days and Days**

**Day of Difficulty**

…

**I caught a glimpse in my rearview mirror**

**Of an old familiar face**

**Blurry image coming in clearer**

**Of a past I can't erase**

**I could've sworn I put him in the ground**

**But looks like he's found his way out**

…

The day that the first true sign of trouble came was about a week in a half after her arrival.

Sakura was sitting on the porch, watching Kakuzu and Hidan sparring in the area in front of the tower. The rain had stopped for once; typically signaling all the Akatsuki would be out of the tower enjoying rainless weather while it lasted. Hence the spar, and why Sakura was outside to watch it. The whole tower was fenced off with a giant stone wall, so there was no fear of harming civilians despite being in the heart of the village, and so there were no-hold-backs.

After all, Sakura noted, between these two aggressive male immortals, there was no sense of partnership nor care for the other's safety.

Sakura had confirmed this was the bloodiest spar she had ever seen, her conclusion founded firmly when Kakuzu severed Hidan's head for the third time, stitched it back on with albino cursing, and the two continued brutally.

Sakura had been watching them for maybe 20 minutes, when the metallic gate at the end of the path opened. The typical Amegakure Jonin stood there, and just managed to dodge Kakuzu's latest Donton jutsu.

Kakuzu and Hidan stopped when the man shouted in surprise, and Sakura stood from the edge of the cement porch. The pinkette had come to agreement with the humid weather by wearing lighter clothing then she typically would back in Konaha, just a red tank top and black thigh-tights, and keeping her hair tied high. She always carried around her Akatsuki uniform, though, tossed over her shoulder, and she pulled on the cloak as she went to receive the message while Kakuzu and Hidan waited in irritation at the interruption.

Sakura nodded her greetings. "Hai, sir?"

The slightly shaken man shook his head, looked at the pinkette, and brightened. "Haruno-sama, there is a group of 4 outside the gate claiming to know you. They seek to speak with you outside the village."

"Who are they?" she asked skeptically. She maintained contact with lots of letters to Konaha. None of her peers, friends, or family had mentioned anything about coming around.

The man shrugged. "I'm sorry, miss Haruno. I was only told that it was a former teammate of yours; he recited a Konoha-Alliance code, though. He's not an enemy."

Sakura nodded, and she jumped in surprise when a voice rumbled behind her, "you're not seriously going to go anywhere, are you?"

The pinkette turned around, seeing both males from the spar, spattered with blood. She raised her brow at them, and Kakuzu continued. "You've just been told that there are four people waiting in the forest who won't give their names. You're going out there on your own? Are you an idiot?"

Sakura scoffed. "First off, I'm pretty radical and resourceful, Kakuzu. Four people isn't too much of a worry. Second, they have a rare code used by Konaha to other nations to claim an ally. You only get those by having Konaha allegiance."

Kakuzu crossed his arms, "those codes don't change very often, brat. I know the present one, and I'm not an ally to Konaha. And I know that it hasn't changed in the last 5 years, and I know the one before that, and that _that one _was the same for 10 years."

Sakura shook her head. "That's because you're a genius weirdo who knows a whole bunch of stuff 'cause he's old and experienced. And… chizz and stuff. Maybe if it was 5 of _you _out there, then hell, I wouldn't go. But this is the biggest collection of radical morons in the nations, it's not like there's another squad of you people running around and for some reason know I'm here right now."

Hidan laughed. "Your logic is as bat-shit as ever, pinky."

She stuck her tongue out at him.

Kakuzu muttered, "You're both complete morons."

Sakura shook her head in exasperation. "Geeze, old man, if you're so worried, come with me."

She didn't wait for a response, and started out of the gate, the Jonin long gone by then, and Hidan followed with a grin, calling out 'Field Trip!' like a stupid kid.

Kakuzu just muttered and closed the gate behind him, following. His spar was cancelled, but hopefully he was right and whoever was waiting for her would be a good kill.

…

…

…

Sakura padded through the trees just after the rain started again when she left the front gate, thankful for the snug coat. It didn't have a collar like most of the others; Pein said hers had been made for the medic position years ago, though they never found a medic. It had a hood, and the inside was black instead of red- since a Medic's prime importance is to not get injured, a pure black, cloudless cloak would be better for evasion. Also, whenever she left the tower, she had her medic's carrier; a kit that slung on her shoulder with one long strap. It held 3 sealed scrolls containing massive amounts of necessities for any hospital, and weighed a massive amount; luckily Sakura had super strength.

She could sense the presences of the Zombie Duo behind her, leaping through the branches. Sakura had to admit it was a bit of a surprise that Kakuzu decided to follow along. He didn't seem like the type to enjoy a field trip.

The pinkette froze when the first of the chakra signatures of the group unmasked itself, followed by the other three, only a few yards ahead.

She was dead frozen, as they slowly walked toward her.

Neither Hidan nor Kakuzu could recognize any of the chakra signatures from where they sat in their respective trees. But the second the head of the group stepped past the underbrush and trees into view, they, too, knew instantly who it was. The youngest of the two living Uchiha: Sasuke Uchiha.

Sakura took a step back, and they could almost feel her discomfort despite the distance. The black haired boy stopped about a foot away, and gave her a look over. The three behind him- a tall ginger who looked less than interested, a boy with white-blue hair and a hulking sword on his back who noticed the pinkette with a dirty grin of sharp teeth, and a spiky red haired girl who looked thoroughly angry, glaring between Sasuke and Sakura- stood a few feet back.

After he scanned her and her patterned cloak, he shook his head, letting out an irritated 'tsk'. "I can't figure it out. How does someone like _you_ make headlines around all the nations for being in Akatsuki even survive there?"

Sakura opened her mouth, but closed it dully. What could she even say? She hadn't seen him in so long… not since she, Sai, and Naruto went on the mission to Orochimaru's base. What on earth could she say?

The man rolled his eyes at her lack of speech. Typical of the pinkette whenever he would talk directly to her back in the day. He leaned back, as if to get a clearer view of her. "I can definitely understand how Konaha tossed off its weakness at the first opportunity as an offering to Ame and Akatsuki, but I can't see how you have lived the last week- or even what they _want _with you."

The red headed girl grinned and cheered in a squeaky voice, "She's a harlot, Sasuke-kun!"

Sasuke looked first to the red head, then to the rosette, a bit surprised. "Karin, that still doesn't make sense." He scoffed, "who pays for _this_?"

Sakura flared red, both embarrassed and furious. "I am _not _a whore. Even if it's who _you_ keep in your company." She shot a green glare at the other girl, who turned neon pink.

The shorter of the two males standing near 'Karin' laughed. "Oh, I would _certainly_ like a night with pinky."

"You wish." Sakura snapped bitterly.

"Oh, I _do_ wish." He agreed toothily.

"Silence, Suigetsu." Sasuke growled. He glared at the pinkette, still apparently insulted at the whore comment._ Serves him right._ Sakura muttered in the back of her mind. "I'll make this nice and _easy_ for you to understand, you irritating, useless fool. Those Akatsuki are apparently keeping you around- probably as a little call girl. So you can tell me now. Just where in that village is that bastard?"

"I don't know who you mean." She glared at the boy with his classical duck-butt hair. "Not. At. All." Like hell would he come around and just get anything, even a snippet of information about his older brother.

"Is that _so_?" He snorted. "Just as I thought. I give you a chance, and you prove just as useless as before." The pinkette took pain to those words, and the Uchiha grabbed the front of her shirt roughly. "I guess I'll have to _make_ you tell me, then."

_Useless._ He knew just the words to hurt her, that bastard. But, as said, _like hell_.

The hurt wiped off her face. "Bite me." She bit out, kicking him sharply in the shin. It shattered from brute force and a bit of chakra. Sasuke dropped her and she landed on her butt.

The sound of two people landing beside her signaled the arrival of Hidan and Kakuzu, much to the pinkette's surprise. She had forgotten they were even there.

Hidan picked her up lightly by her hood until she was at normal level, and set her on her feet. "I'm bored. So can I kill one of them?" the jashinist asked with a crossing of his arms. He eyes Jugo particularly, much to the boy's nervousness.

"Sasuke-kun!" Karin squeaked, "Did that bitch hurt you?" she came up to his side, hugging his shoulders.

He shoved her off, "Of course not." He snapped.

Kakuzu snorted. "The bone only _snapped like a twig._" Kakuzu turned around, grabbing the back of her cloak, and started walking, dragging her along as she blinked in surprise. "Little kids like this are of no interest to me. We're going home, now."

Hidan whined. "Aw, you bastard, it could have been a bloody massacre!"

Kakuzu looked uninterested still. Sakura struggled a bit and managed to start walking, so he let go of her.

When the sound of chirps was distant in her ears, though, the pinkette kicked Hidan's feet from under him. The albino toppled face-first to the dirt as the neon blue electric chidori she knew had been coming sailed through the air Hidan hand once occupied.

By total fight instinct, Sakura twisted downward, hands planting on either side of Hidan protectively, and like she was doing a cartwheel, her feet came up, wrapped around the offending arm sporting the jutsu, and followed through with the cart wheel, launching the body she had captured between her caliphs into mid air, where it hit a tree and nearly smashed the whole thing.

All passed in two seconds.

Sakura, now on her feet again in a defensive stance, looked where the assailant was creating a snow angel in tree bark, and looked shocked it was Sasuke.

Hidan, cursing, shuffled to his feet as the red headed Karin squealed out 'Sasuke-kun' again, and the zealot Jashin worshipper observed Sakura's handy work with a smirk. "You get better by the day, bitch."

Sakura, on the other hand, looked horrified. "Oh… my god… Sasuke!"

The Uchiha peeled himself off the tree with an angry snarl on his face. Neither she, nor her two Akatsuki colleges if they had been the targets, were fast enough to dodge when Sasuke drew his sword, and the lightning Katana extended suddenly, sheathing itself straight into the emerald-eyed medic's lower left stomach.

She balked and dropped as it almost immediately disappeared, and a dark red stain started oozing out of the whole on the cloth. "You bitch, tell me where that bastard is!" he snarled darkly, pointing his sword dangerously at her.

Kakuzu's dark tendrils shot out of nowhere, most quickly attaching to the Uchiha's teammates who were preparing to aid him, and the others impaling into multiple places along Sasuke's person. Without a single care for the four otherwise, the threads tossed them like stones over the trees, hopefully to fall to their doom and snap their necks.

Sakura, lying on the ground, was pressing both of her hands harshly over the wound. Kakuzu and Hidan both knelt beside her, the later in much more of a panic. "Oh my god she's dying! What the hell?! She was the medic! Now what?"

Kakuzu, muttered about him being an idiot, but looked to Sakura's face. She looked barely conscious of much but her wound, green hands alight. "You can't close that without anything but your chakra, Haruno. So, this will hurt."

He gave little more warning, and she nodded, pulling her hands back, and watched a long thick thread slithering out of his wrist. Her face paled as, poke by poke through flesh, the line slithered into the whole through her cloak and pierced flesh, pulling the two sides closed tight.

"Not one scream or shout." Kakuzu mused, watching her hands turn green and return immediately to fixing herself. He looked at Hidan. "Better than you, for sure."

"Fuck off." Hidan growled, picking her up easily with one arm, careful not to jostle the wound. "I hate this rain, let's get home damn it."

Kakuzu nodded, standing as well, "It would be best. Infection and sickness go hand in hand. She hangs around in the rain and catches a cold, and then there goes the free medic."

"Miserly old jerk." Sakura rasped with a scoff, and they left, chuckling.

They would come back to base and find a furious Deidara and Konan- whom were close friends of the pinkette- who scolded her endlessly as they whisked her off to the medic bay so she could finish treating herself.

The pinkette silently rued the day Sasuke would come back again, and made a mental note to find and speak with Itachi soon.

…

"**My Own Worst Enemy" © Casting Crowns**

**Recommended By: XReGreenBeanX**

**Comment a song and we'll pull some lyrics for ideas!**


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